• Home
  • Who Said What
  • New Zealand Is Clear In Their Test Identity Coach Aims Winning Start In Wtc 2025 Vs Wi

"New Zealand is clear in their Test identity": Coach aims winning start in WTC 2025 vs WI

Aakash Saini

New Zealand to face WI [Source: @BLACKCAPS/x]New Zealand to face WI [Source: @BLACKCAPS/x]

The New Zealand cricket team is set to launch its World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 campaign, thus becoming the last side to do so among all nine competing teams. The inaugural winners will go up against West Indies in a series of three Test matches at home, with the opener scheduled at Christchurch between December 2 and December 6.

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter is keen to make the most of his team’s home advantage this month, in a bid to get their WTC 2025-27 campaign up-and-running with a win.

New Zealand coach confident of win, but wary of WI challenge

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter has emphasised the importance of winning Test matches at home in context of the WTC. He added that the New Zealand team is aiming to make a strong start and lay down an “early marker” by defeating West Indies.

As quoted by the ICC, Rob Walter said:

“Winning at home is important, but it is not the be all and end all because we have started to see how teams can win away from home. If there are any conditions you do understand you trust it to be your own so we'll be looking to start strong and lay down an early marker in the World Test Championship.”

Rob Walter also added that New Zealand is “clear” in their Test identity, thus indirectly referring to their recent successes, which included a historic 3-0 win in India roughly a year ago. He stated:

“The team is clear in their Test match identity, they've done incredibly well as a unit, so just to fall back into that.”

Rob Walter, however, is also wary of the West Indies challenge that lies ahead for his team. Praising fast bowlers like Kemar Roach and others along with acknowledging their batting line-up, Walter added:

“They've got a really good seam attack, some dangerous batters and can bat for long periods of time so from a team point of view (we need to) respect the game of cricket and be prepared for the contest.”

The New Zealand team will face West Indies in the first Test of the three-match series in Christchurch between December 2 and December 6.